jans musing: UGRQ WITH TESSA

Showing posts with label UGRQ WITH TESSA. Show all posts

Tuesday, 12 June 2012

UFO ZAPPED

On the PP Forum, Tessa talked us through this Quilt - The Underground Railway Quilt. I have not read the books or anything about this Quilt, I just made it then quilted it as I saw fit. It may not be right, but I like it now it is done.....I think!
I had some concerns about who would have actually made the Quilt.

The lady of the house? Surely not, she would want to keep her slaves.

The slaves themselves? Hmm where would they get the patterns and fabrics from??

I know I shall get lots of comments about this, but I could not get my head round it at all, I have no wish to read the book, sorry.

I 'loaned' the title of one of the books for the top of my quilt. It is my idea in the bottom sash of the quilt. Hope you like what I have done.
Thank you to Marian from the PP site for idea for the label, first block...

the sashing is dark brown fabric with tiny red dots -

I used this fabric for obvious reasons,

I thought the red dots would or could be the blood

shed by the slaves in their escape to Freedom...

no barbed wire between these as they are now FREE...

The sashing has been quilted with a design from Leah Day,

I felt it was just right for this quilt,

the sashing corner stones have fabric that is barbed wire, I felt it fit...

The completed Quilt -

The back...

close up of centre section of the back...

top sashing title in progress...

Completed...

Lower sashing title in progress -

done in gold thread now...

Completed...

So there we are, another UFO zapped, one with a strong story if you believe it. I am not 100% I do, but there we are, that is only my opinion. It makes a decent quilt.

I have to say I am not 100% comfortable with it now it is done.

I hope it doesn't offend anyone.

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Sunday, 30 October 2011

QUILTING QUILTING QUILTING AND OTHER STUFF

How terrible, I have been neglecting my Blog. All in a good cause I can assure you. I have been quilting, quilting, quilting, and then quilting some more. I just love doing it. I'm sure I have been doing other stuff too, but as you can tell quilting always comes first...with me anyway.

So exactly what have I been quilting you ask? Well, do you remember I did a special give away a while back. I offered to quilt a quilt for someone in the UK and make a bag for someone overseas. Katy won the quilt bit and Erin won the bag bit.

I received the quilt from Katy, she didn't actually have one done, so she just made a small Welsh style Quilt...

complete with wadding and backing it arrived...

here it is opened out, well done Katy, it is lovely, looking forward to quilting this for you...

Katy had told me I could do what I wanted on it quilting wise, but I decided to search out some Welsh style quilting designs as she had gone to the trouble of making one. My friend Di rang the Quilters Guild as she is a member and found out the Welsh use toned threads for the quilting, good job she found out I would have used good old black!!!!

I have to tell you it is only small though, about 29" square actually. Oh well, maybe next time I will get a bigger one, if there is a next time!! Anyway, I have finished the Quilt and have returned it to Katy, who likes it, hahaha the message I got was really funny, I will have to ask permission to put it on here, it made both me and hubby laugh out loud. Katy you are so funny.

Just to remind you I do all quilting freehand, I never mark the fabric, I just go for it, so if the patterns are sometimes a tad 'wonky' that's me done that. No apologies, it's the way I quilt.

Here it is then, finished - sorry, lots of photos....

close up of centre, using Welsh style designs...

close up of final border-the black one - which is my own design...

the whole thing...

close up of the back outer edges...

partial centre...

centre of quilt...

complete thing finished - this is the back of course,

can you spot my signature? Wonder if Katy found it!

I was extremely pleased with the way this turned out as before this I had never done any Welsh Quilting, I do like their designs, even if I did kind of alter a few here and there. Oops!!! hahahaha

So that is one down, one to go. Yes I have done the bag for Erin, it is as I type winging it's way across the Pond to her. When she receives it I will put the pikkies up on here only fair she gets to see it first.

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So that is that part done, hmm what else have I been doing, oh yes I have been trialling patterns for Geta, made a quilt with one of the patterns I trialled for her, picture tomorrow as wahey it is all done, put the binding on it tonight.

Which reminds me....DID YOU REMEMBER TO PUT YOUR CLOCKS BACK FOLKS????

I have also made a few Postcards for some swaps I am in. Again no pictures until they are received other end. Sorry.

I can put the pictures here though of the ones I have received...

HAPPINESS Postcard swap from Margaret - lover it, thank you so much...

More new threads, I cannot resist...

the final block for the Underground Quilt with Tessa on PP Forum -

I can now start assembling the quilt yippee...

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Just look what my friend Liz sent me - isn't it great,

I am known as BattyJan you see, good one Liz, thank you so much, love it...

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Again on the PP Forum, Ros has been asking us about various things we have in our sewing rooms,

we have done threads - I wont put them all on here again, oh dear, SO many hahahaha,

but this week she asked for our favourite Gadgets, I seem to have found a few...

Safety pins, Rulers, Special machine feet, curved scissors, KandiKane, Small iron, Soldering iron, Heat gun, Chenille cutter and a thread stand for those slippery threads, not forgetting the cutting mat they are all posing on...

THIS, is my most important foot,

this is the foot I use when I am free machining or quilting on my machine,

doesn't look much does it, but oh boy I would not be without it, no way...

and last but not least - here are a few of the things I have for sale on my other Blog,
http://jansmags.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-10-29T01%3A04%3A00%2B01%3A00&max-results=1

lots more on there, so if you fancy taking a look and see something you like,

please get in touch with me...

Lots of books....

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Wednesday, 12 October 2011

THERE SHE GOES

I haven't been on my computer for over a week now I do have a good excuse, the reason being.....

Last Sunday, I was playing !!! in the garden with Rebecca and for some reason I lost my footing and hubby said I went down like a lump of concrete - charming description!! - face first onto the grass. It felt as though I had landed on concrete, I remember going, 'oh no oh no oh no' then I was flat on the grass. Because I cannot move my head my poor nose got the shock of the landing along with my knees, boobs and stomach.

So OK now I am on the grass in total shock at being there and unable to move.

After what seemed a lifetime, I managed to get on my back, cannot tell you the pain, but worse was to come.

Hubby pulled me up so I was now sitting on the grass, then we tried to figure a way of getting me up, I suggested steps of varying heights so I could work my way up slowly, but no, he grabbed under my arms and in one movement, yanked me up, I know I screamed my head off, as he was actually giving me a Chinese burn under my arms, but he didn't know that of course.

Anyway, to stop you all being bored, I managed to get in, went to bed as couldn't sit or stand, was uncomfortable laying down but had to do something. I fell asleep anyway and kind of slept the week away.

Nothing got broken, only my pride I guess, thank goodness I was at home not out somewhere, but the bruising, Oh my, agony all week, but not one bruise has shown up anywhere, the only bit you can see that I have done something is my glasses nipped the skin on my eye and cut it a little. I still ache all over, but am doing a bit of sewing in the day to get me back into the swing of things and get my mind off the aches and pains.

It is now over a week since I fell, and I do feel a lot better although I am wary of going out, guess I am afraid I shall fall again. Today, hubby took me up to the centre and we had a slow mooch round the shops, had lunch and a coffee then came home. I think it has shaken my confidence a bit as it was so unexpected, and damn painful. I just hope because nothing showed up, there is nothing going to 'surprise' me in a few weeks or months time!!!!

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On a cheerier note, both my winners have been in touch with me, Erin has let me know the colour she would like for her bag, well, maybe those colours, she is not too sure, left it to me so we shall see, I chose them today actually and have started it Erin.

Katy has also been in touch and I am absolutely thrilled with what she is going to send me, she asked me first could she do 'this' particular quilt as she had nothing done, I jumped at it. Just hope she will like what I do with it. Looking forward to receiving it I can tell you. She has also given me permission to put it on here. Cheers Katy, I am very grateful to you.

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I have done the latest block Tessa set out for us in the UGRQ - a Boat this time...